Climbing device for roof-workers.



s. GRAY. CLIMBING DEVICE FOR ROOF WORKERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAILIQ, 1910.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

[06.366233 rqy,

RAPH CO SYLVESTER B. GRAY, O F GHICKAS HA, OKLAHOMA.

CLIMBING DEVICE FOR ROOF-WORKERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1,1912.

Application filed March 19, 1910. Serial No. 550,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLvnsrnR B. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chickasha, in the county of Grady and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Climbing Device for Roof-Workers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in climbing-devices for use by roof workers.

The objects of my invention are to produce a simple device for the purpose mentioned and which is designed to be worn over the shoes of workmen employed in the somewhat dangerous yet common task of shingling, painting, and repairing slanting roofs, said device being so constructed that when in position upon the feet of a workman it will constitute a most efficient means for preventing slipping, enable him to readily climb and to anchor himself securely at any point while engaged in work.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawingFigure 1 is a' plan view of a climbing-device for roof workers embodying my invent-ion; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section; and, Fig. 3 a rear elevation of the same. Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures of the drawlng.

In practising my invention, I prefer to simulate the shape or contour of a shoe or sandal, and, for convenience and lightness construct it out of sheet-steel, although I do not confine the invention to being thus constructed.

I may, in order to adapt the device for various sizes of feet, construct the same of two parts, designated respectively as the heel-part or portion 1, and the tread-part or portion 2; or, as will be apparent, the device may be stamped up out of a single blank. a

In forming the rear heel-part or portion 1 of the device, a countersunk recess or flanged pocket 8, approximating the shape of and adapted to receive the heel of the shoe of the wearer, is produced, the front wall of said pocket forming a transverse shoulder 4, similar to the heel of a shoe, and therefore, adapted to engage with the rungs of a ladder. This enables the wearer of the device to work from as well as ascend and descend a ladder in safety. In forming the pocket 3 with its surrounding heel-embracing flange 5, the sides of the blank from which the heelpart is formed are bent upward and soldered or riveted together at the back. Short extensions 6, are produced at the lower corners of the extended sides of the heel embracing-flange, the said extensions being bent inwardly under the heel in front of the shoulder 4 and preferably riveted thereto, whereby the shoulder 4: is reinforced and considerably strengthened and the heel embracing-flange likewise braced to withstand the strain incidental to use. Somewhat similar extensions 6 are produced at the rear corners of the wings or extensions forming the flange 5, and these are bent under the heel and preferably riveted thereto in the same manner and for the same purpose as the extensions 6 just referred to. When thus combined and riveted together as described a most substantial. and thoroughly braced heel-portion is produced;

A pair of attaching-straps 7 are connected to the upper front corners of the heel embracing-flange 5 and are adapted to aid in fastening the device upon the foot of the workman by passing around the ankle and buckling together as is usual.

Each extension of the blank that goes to make up the heel embracing-flange of the device is also formed or provided with a substantially triangular shaped wing 8, extending at a substantially right angle thereto and terminating at its upper outer corner in a barb or spur 9, designed to engage the roof when the device is inclined so that the leg of the workman is disposed substantially parallel with the roof. Somewhat similar barbs or spurs 10 and 10* are punched from and extend outwardly at each side of the center of the back of theheel, the lower spurs being disposed downwardly and the upper spurs upwardly, so that the lower spurs will engage when the device is flat on the roof and the upper spurs will have a tendency to engage should the workman fall and his heels be dragging over the roof. Downwardly disposed spurs 11, corresponding to the spurs 10, project from the lower sides of the heel embracing-flange 5. It will be observed that all of these spurs may be readily struck up from the blank prior to the bending of the same.

The treadportion 2 of the climbingdevice may have formed at its front end any form of toe-engaging clip, such, for instance, as at 12, bent upward and backward so as to take over the toe of the shoe of the workman, and at the base and at each side of the same, downwardly inclined spurs 13 may be located, the same being struck from the metal forming the clip. At opposite sides of the tread-portion 2 integral upwardly disposed sole-embracing standards 14: may be formed, and from each side of the base of the same downwardly disposed spurs 15 may be struck. The upper ends of the standards may be provided with slots in which are engaged a pair of attaching-straps 16, designed to pass over the instep of the workman.

As before stated, the device may be stamped up from a single blank or piece, or, as illustrated, it may be formed in two slidable sections adjustably connected together. For the latter purpose, the sole-section or portion may be provided with a keeper 17, into which the reduced shank 18 of the heel-portion may take. These two parts may be adjusted to adapt the device to fit any size of shoe, and after being so adjusted, may be secured together rigidly by means of a short screw 19, located in any one of a series of holes 20 formed in the shank and keeper.

This completes the detailed description of my invention, and in operation it will be seen that on walking forward or backward on a slanting roof, the front, side, and lower back heel spurs will engage and lend a secure footing; also that should the workman accidentally fall and begin to slide head first down the roof, his heels dragging, the upper spurs 10 would have a disposition to engage and anchor him.

In actual work, when the workman as sumes a kneeling posit-ion with the sides of his legs against the roof, the substantially triangular wings 8 form eflicient rests and remove undue strains from the ankles, the spurs of the wings engaging and with the companion spurs on that side of the device combining to form a most secure anchorage.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is

1. The herein described climbing-device for roof-workers, comprising heel and treadportions, the heel-portion having a pocket with a surrounding flange provided with outwardly disposed declining spurs and substantially triangular rest-wings terminating in spurs, and the tread-portion provided at its front with a toe-embracing guard having at each side outwardly disposed declining spurs, and opposite standards rising from the tread-portion and provided with declining spurs; together with attaching-straps secured to the upper ends of said standards and to the front upper corners of the heelembracing flange.

2. The herein described climbing-device for roof-workers, the same comprising a heel-portion having a heel embracing flange the front vertical'edges of which are laterally disposed or extended at an angle thereto and cut away on their under sides to form rests.

3. The herein described climbing-device for roof workers, the same comprising a heel-portion having a heel-embracing flange the front vertical edges of which are laterally disposed or extended at an angle thereto and have their under sides cut away to form inclined rests which latter terminate at their upper ends in spurs.

4. The herein described climbing-device for roof-workers, the same having extending outwardly from the sides thereof vertically disposed triangular-shaped rests having engaging spurs.

5. The herein described climbing-device for roof-workers, having a heel-embracing flange provided at each side of its rear with upper and lower sets of oppositely disposed spurs, at its sides with outwardly and downwardly disposed spurs, and in advance of the latter with substantially triangularshaped anchoring rest-Wings disposed at an angle to the heel-embracing flange.

6. The herein described climbing-device for roof-workers, the same comprising a tread-portion having a front toe-clip from the sides of which depend inclined spurs and at the sides sole-embracing standards from the sides of which latter depend spurs, the toeclip, sole-embracing standards, and

i spurs being formed integral with the treadportion.

7. The herein described climbing-device for roof-workers, the same comprising a heel-portion consisting of opposite rear turned up sides connected together to form a flange and surrounding the heel of the device and at their lower edges provided with inturned overlapping reinforcing extensions disposed under the heel-portion.

8. The herein described climbing-device for roof-workers, the same comprising a heel-portion struck from a single piece of metal and having a heel-receiving pocket the front of which is upturned to form a transverse shoulder, and opposite upturned wings extending around the pocket and provided at their front edges with extensions extending in front of the transverse shoulder and riveted thereto.

9. The herein described climbing-device name to this specification in the presence of for roof-Workers, compnsing a heel-portion tWo subscribing wltnesses.

struck from a piece of metal and including a hee1-embracing flange terminating at its SYLVESTER GRAY front ends in triangularly shaped outwardly Witnesses: disposed rests disposed at an angle thereto. W. S. DUVALL, In testimony whereof I have signed my C. S. BEALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington D. G. 

